The University of Texas at San Antonio Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management

Transcription

1 The University of Texas at San Antonio Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management TO: FROM: UTSA Campus Community John DeLaHunt, MBA, ARM Risk & Life Safety Manager University Fire Marshal J. Brian Moroney, Director University Authority Having Jurisdiction Environmental Health, Safety & Risk Management RE: Annual Campus Fire Safety Report, Calendar Year 2010 The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management (EHSRM) department has summarized the following information, reported by calendar year: (1) Statistics relating to fires in on-campus student housing, including a. The number of fires and the cause of each fire; b. The number of persons who received fire-related injuries that resulted in treatment at a medical facility, including at an on-campus health center; c. The number of deaths related to a fire; and d. The value of property damage caused by a fire. (2) A description of each on-campus student housing facility fire safety system. (3) The number of fire drills held during the previous calendar year. (4) The institution's policies or rules on portable electrical appliances, smoking, and open flames in a student housing facility. (5) The institution's procedures for student housing evacuation in the case of a fire. (6) Fire safety education and training programs provided to the students and employees. (7) Titles of each person or organization to which students and employees should report that a fire occurred. (8) Plans for future improvements in fire safety, if determined necessary by the institution. For the purposes of this report: On-campus student housing refers only to structures containing residential occupancy for students. It does not include neighborhood centers within student housing developments, campus facilities (administrative, academic, library, student life, or support) where students may overnight on a transient basis, vehicles, locations off UTSA property, or outdoor locations of any kind. On-campus student housing consists of four developments. The UTSA Housing and Residence Life department (HRL, operates two of these, Chaparral Village and Laurel Village. Campus Living Villages (CLV, One UTSA Circle * San Antonio, Texas * (210) phone (210) fax

2 Page 2 of 5 operates two of these, Chisholm Hall and University Oaks apartments. Fire is any instance of open flame or other burning in a place not intended to contain the burning or in an uncontrolled manner. Fire does not include controlled burning, even when that event is contrary to policy, such as candles, smoking, or other open flames, when that open flame does not result in property damage. Statistics, presented by development and calendar year Chaparral Number and Causes of Village Chisholm Number and Causes of Hall Laurel Number and Causes of Village University Number and Causes of Oaks (cooking) 2, No data (cooking) 3, No data 0 0 Fire Safety Systems Chaparral Village, built in 2004 with type V-A (protected wood frame) construction, consists of a multi-building development. Student housing structures within the development have local and building fire alarms with manual and automatic initiation. The fire alarm system reports to the UTSA central monitoring station at the Police Department Dispatch Center. All buildings in the development have full sprinkler coverage. Portable fire extinguishers are provided outside the buildings. Chisholm Hall, built in 1982 of type II-B (unprotected non-combustible) construction, is a single four-story residential building. Chisholm has local and building fire alarms with manual and

3 Page 3 of 5 automatic initiation. The fire alarm system reports to the UTSA central monitoring station at the Police Department Dispatch Center. The building has a fire pump serving a standpipe system with hoses. Portable fire extinguishers are provided in the building. Laurel Village, built in two phases in 2007 and 2008 with type V-A (protected wood frame) construction, consists of a multi-building development. Student housing structures within the development have local and building fire alarms with manual and automatic initiation. The fire alarm system reports to the UTSA central monitoring station at the Police Department Dispatch Center. All buildings in the development have full sprinkler coverage. Portable fire extinguishers are provided outside the buildings. University Oaks, built in three phases in 1992, 1993, and 1994 with type V-A (protected wood frame) construction, consists of three multi-building developments. Student housing structures within the development have local alarms with automatic initiation. Portable fire extinguishers are provided in the buildings. Fire Drills Occupants of on-campus student housing facilities with centrally monitored fire alarm systems (Chaparral Village and Laurel Village) are drilled on fire evacuation at least once per year per building. CLV performs one fire drill per semester at Chisholm Hall. To create and sustain a culture of preparedness, fire drills are unannounced to residents and occur at times of high expected occupancy. Development On-Campus Student Drills per Housing buildings building per year Drills per year Chaparral Village Chisholm Hall Laurel Village Total Fire Prevention Policies UTSA HRL and CLV policies prohibit open flames, candles, smoking indoors, modification of fire safety devices (sprinklers, smoke detectors, extinguishers, etc), and initiating false alarms. Further, campus policies prohibit storage and use of propane cylinders, Procedures for Evacuation The UTSA Community Emergency Response Guide and Fire and Life Safety Manual include emergency procedures for fire. Current language is attached as Appendix 1. Fire safety education programs Members of the UTSA Housing and Residence Life staff, including Resident Assistants, receive training in fire prevention, emergency response, and emergency management. Members of the CLV staff, including Resident Assistants, receive training in emergency management protocols, including fire alarm activation.

4 Page 4 of 5 Some UTSA students and employees receive fire safety training as part of organized safety, health, and environmental protection training programs. Exposure to this training content depends on the roles and responsibilities of the student or employee. UTSA s Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management department makes fire safety and prevention training available to UTSA employees and on-campus student residents upon request. Reporting in On-campus Student Housing Fire reporting in UTSA on-campus student housing varies by housing development: Chaparral Village, Laurel Village The University of Texas at San Antonio Police Department ( ) HRL professional staff ( ) Associate Director Housing Operations Associate Director Education and Residence Life Chisholm Hall, University Oaks The University of Texas at San Antonio Police Department ( ) Resident Assistants CLV professional staff ( ) Residential Life Coordinator Director of Operations General Manager Plans for Future Improvements UTSA and CLV intend to expand and develop fire protection and fire drills in on-campus student housing facilities, and fire prevention policies, as necessary. CLV is currently installing centrally monitored fire alarm systems in the University Oaks development, and will begin implementing fire drills in those buildings after the alarm system installations are complete. CLV is in the early planning stages for the installation of fire sprinklers in Chisholm Hall and has notified UTSA of plans to start construction at the end of the academic term in May of 2012.

5 Page 5 of 5 Appendix 1: Text of Evacuation Procedures (as of September 29, 2011): Fire: Pull the nearest fire alarm and leave via the preplanned evacuation route if safe to do so. Dial 4911 or 911 (UTSA Phone) and give your name and location of the fire. (If necessary, dial 911 from another building) When a fire alarm sounds, occupants should: Proceed immediately to an exit according the posted evacuation plan and move a safe distance away from the building. If the primary exit is blocked, choose the best alternate route. If time permits, close doors and windows behind you. Do not use an elevator. If there is smoke in the area, remain close to the floor. Before passing through any door, feel the metal doorknob. If it is hot, do not open the door. Before opening a door, brace yourself against it slightly; if heat or heavy smoke are present, close the door and stay in the room. If you cannot leave the room: Open the windows. Seal the cracks around doors with clothing or other material, soaked with water if possible. Hang an object (bed sheet, jacket, shirt, etc.) out the window to gain attention. Shout for help. If possible, call or 911 (UTSA phone) and report that you are trapped. If all exits are found to be blocked, go to a room as far as possible from the fire, close the door, and the follow the above procedures. As with any emergency, the best advice is to be prepared by familiarizing yourself with evacuation route plans. (accessed 8/23/2011)